Senegal’s victory over Cameroon ensures their place in the last-16 as defending champions

Senegal, the defending champions, secured their place in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 with a 3-1 victory over Cameroon.

Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diallo, and Sadio Mane all found the back of the net, with Sarr scoring in the first half and Diallo and Mane scoring in the second half.

This win gives Senegal a total of six points from two Group C matches, while Cameroon only has one point. Despite Jean-Charles Castelletto scoring a late goal for Cameroon, Senegal maintained their dominance and sealed a convincing victory. In another match, Cape Verde became the first team to secure a last-16 spot by defeating Mozambique 3-0. Later in the day, Guinea will face the Gambia, and a victory for Guinea would place them three points ahead of Cameroon with one match remaining in the group stage.

Prompt: Rewrite the given text in a different way. 1. After being late to arrive in West Africa and missing a draw with Guinea, Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was called back by Cameroon. However, despite his return, the team’s slack defending contributed to the goals they conceded.

Senegal started the match with five players who had also started in the 2022 final against Egypt in Yaounde, which they won in a penalty shootout. Mane scored the decisive spot-kick.

Vincent Aboubakar, Cameroon’s star forward, was once again unable to play due to a thigh injury that had previously ruled him out of the draw with Guinea.

Just before the half-hour mark, Frank Magri, who had scored for Cameroon against Guinea, had a chance to score again but was beaten to a loose ball by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

The match was briefly halted for a water break as the temperature reached 34 Celsius (94 Fahrenheit) when the game started.

Enzo Tchato made a crucial save for Cameroon just before halftime, blocking a shot from Mane, who is a two-time African Player of the Year.

The first half ended with only one shot on target, which resulted in a goal, from three attempts by each team.

Senegal extended their lead in the 71st minute with a goal that showcased their patience around the Cameroon penalty area. A series of short passes led to Sarr delivering a low cross, and Diallo, who was unmarked, pushed the ball into the net from close range.

Castelletto scored for Cameroon in the 83rd minute with a close-range header, leaving former Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy with no chance. However, their hopes of securing a draw were dashed by Mane’s goal in added time.